Deuteronomy 33:26-29, “How happy are you, Israel! Who is like you?”
Thanksgiving Day falls this week, and we would like to think about things we are thankful for. I am always thankful for Jesus Christ, who died to save me, and for the family God has given me. I am especially thankful for my parents, who taught me to love God and pray in all circumstances. The other morning, I found a picture that moved me to tears; it was a picture of my mother praying on her knees, having the Bible set in front of her. I remember my mom’s tears rolling down her cheek when she prayed and thanked God morning and night. I missed the time my family got together, singing hymns and praises daily in the evening with my sister, niece, and niece’s daughter, brother, and mom. They all lived close by, within 5 to 10 minutes from one another, so it was possible.
Today’s text, Deuteronomy 33: 26 to 29, is Moses’ concluding exclamation for Israelites after he blessed them tribe by tribe before his death, listing what God did and was doing for Israelites, “How happy are you, Israel!” Moses, who knew God and had talked with God as if he talked with his friend, exclaimed the happiness of the Israelites, listing three reasons in verses 26 to 28.
First, in verse 26, he said that the God of Israel, the God of Jeshurun, –“Jeshurun is a “nickname or poetical name for Israel, –” ‘rides the heavens,” and “the clouds in His majesty” to help them. Moses was saying that God reigns “heaven” in total control, employing all of heaven and earth, — thunder, lightning, hailstones, clouds, fire, wind, and light, etc., to help God’s people, demonstrating all the natural forces of heaven and earth are entirely under God’s power and control. This God keeps and protects his people as the “pupil of his eyes” and sends all the necessary things to help them if they face enemies as stumbling blocks in their ways. How comforting it is to know that God comes to rescue his people, moving heaven and earth on our behalf! As we saw in the Exodus events in the Bible, God sent ten plagues to Egyptians, employing elements of heaven and earth and “clouds.” The enemies of the Israelites became powerless and destroyed when God “rides the heavens and the clouds in majesty” on the Israelite’s behalf.
God opened the sea at the Red Sea and made a way for Israelites to walk on. We see that in the valley of Ayalon when Joshua commanded the sun to stand still all day and night to finish the mission of destroying their enemies, the Canaanites’ kings, and the people, the sun did not set even at night. Instead, it stood still for God’s armies led by Joshua to destroy their enemies completely.
Second, in verse 27, God is the Israelites’ “dwelling place, he said, and underneath are the everlasting arms” of God. How powerful and moving verse this is! God’s people, who live in the shadow of the Almighty, are protected from all harm. No matter how low one goes down, hitting rock bottom in their lives, underneath are the everlasting arms of God they find. Does it say that nothing bad will happen to Christians or that our lives will be like walking a rose-strewn walk? On the contrary, 2 Corinthians 4:8 surmises what Christians go through in the world surrounded by enemies, “We are pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair…” We go through trials and hardships as if we were pressed on all sides, yet we are not crushed. Things happen, throwing us into an uproar, and we might be perplexed and question why these happen, yet we do not find ourselves in despair. It is because we find ourselves in the provision and protection of God, who keeps watch over us day and night.
No matter how low God’s people plummeted, hitting rock bottom and going through a living hell, underneath are the everlasting arms of God protecting and comforting them. Being born and getting aged, sick, and dying are part of life; no one is exempt from that, including all Christians. So, we may be affected and afflicted by perils in life but never broken since we dwell in the shadow of the Almighty!!
Third, verse 28 says that “Israel dwells securely, lives untroubled,” enjoying “grain and new wine” God provided. God provides everything we harvest in the field or at our work to be successful. Our God is the God of blessings and provision!
Last Monday, we had a charge conference at Troy Methodist Church. Before the business session began, pastors were to share their yearly ministry. Many churches and pastors reported how God had blessed them financially and increased church attendance. Sitting there with our delegates and listening, I felt like a failure, knowing that our church struggles financially and our congregation numbers have not increased drastically like some churches that increased triple or even more. But soon, God reminded me of how much God has blessed our church in every aspect. During the disaffiliation process and right after it, I heard several people telling me directly, “We cannot afford you, pastor, with the buyout expenses and all!” After the disaffiliation, we were to pay around $65,000.00 to UMC as a buy-out. I am sure those who said that the church could not afford me meant well; among them was a leader figure who left our church, a home-bound who had great concern for our church, or someone who loves and supports my ministry here. Isn’t it a miracle, then that I am still here as your pastor, and our loan amount has come down to $15,000 from $65,000 within a year?
As for the church growth, God helped me to see the spiritual growth in all these people who haven’t been active much, let alone attending church regularly before the disaffiliation, but have become active, taking a leadership role, and doing so much for our church. Patty and John plant flowers around the church, water them, and send inspirational cards to shut-ins, home-bounds, and hospitalized people, comforting and reminding them of God’s love. Patty created the acolyte’s handbook without being asked to train acolytes. The list goes on. Susan Rose produces bulletins every week voluntarily.
While I was gone, we had a trunky treat at our church, hosting 500 children and adults. The NOW committee, chaired by Kristy Polo and actively led by Melisa, Ashley, Trisha, and others, did it. The other day, Scot Polo came to change our church signage. Do you notice the new names of those who have become actively involved in our church? It is a sign of the spiritual growth God has blessed us with.
We also have new faces God has added to our church after the disaffiliation started with the Coleman and Bryarly families, a total of 15 or more. Coleman and Bryarly’s families joining our church was significant to me, — a sign of God’s faithfulness. At the time, I was struggling with the gap between what God showed me and the reality our church was facing then. At the beginning of my ministry here, God showed me that our church would be like Noah’s Ark, and all those who need to be rescued would come on their own as animals came on their own to Noah’s Ark to be saved from the great flood in Noah’s time. But the reality of our church was that many people left or moved away instead of people joining. So, I prayed and demanded a sign that what I saw was from God instead of from my own imagination. About a couple of weeks later, Coleman and Bryarly’s families were at the door on their own without anyone’s promptings from our church. Then I knew they were a sign that God would use our church as Noah’s Ark to rescue people. From day one, they became actively involved. Whenever and wherever we need help, we are sure they will be there, — at harvest feasts, rummage sales, setting nativity scenes, or installing a new monitor at our church. After these families, Sandy and Dave, Gina and Dave, and Mona joined our church, as did Michelle, Shari, Ada, and others. I know that God will continually add people to our church, expanding God’s kingdom. God’s blessings never end for God’s people.
But the question is whether we know that we are blessed. Unless we are content with what God has given us in our lives, with what we have, we cannot see or feel God’s blessings tangibly. How many of us know that we are very wealthy? Every Christian who knows how to thank God for everything they have is wealthy, enjoying life as if they have everything on this earth, knowing that God provides and will provide what we need. Some might say I am not wealthy; I do not have money. You know what? John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, “defined a wealthy person as anyone who has food, clothing, a place to sleep, and just a little bit left over each day. According to this definition, nearly every one of us qualifies as being wealthy.” The question is whether we learned to be content with what we have and whether we are not driven by having to have more and more than others have.
How happy are you, Israel, who lives under the shadow of the Almighty, who moves heaven and earth to protect us? How happy are you, Gillespie Methodist people, who are provided everything you need with God’s provision? How happy you are, indeed! Amen!
